Check operated, predetermined stop mechanism



April 1953 c. H. CHAPMAN EIAL 2,634,845

CHECK OPERATED, PREDETERMINED STOP MECHANISM Filed Aug. 18, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l I III Thrill l l lllllll Ill]; II I IIIII'IIIIII H lllel ul l ill; H I m Lu N "Hum a CHARLES H. CHAPMAN CARL 5. HsPENwALL JNVENTOR.

. HTTORNEY April 1953 c. H. CHAPMAN ETAL 2,634,845

CHECK OPERATED, PREDETERMINED STOP MECHANISM C HHRLES H. CHAPMAN Cam. 5. QSPENWALL INVENTOR.

MZLWJ M HTTOFQNEY April 14, 1953 Q CHAPMAN r 2,634,845

CHECK OPERATED, PREDETERMINED STOP-MECHANISM Filed Aug. 18, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 CHHRLES H. CHAPMAN 5 Cam. 5. ASPENWALL INVENTOR.

BYM

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1953 CHECK OPERATED, PREDETERMINED STOP MECHANISM Charles H. Chapman, La Grange, and Carl S.

Aspenwall, Chicago, Ill., assignments, to Petinco assignors, by mesne Systems, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application August 18, 1948, Serial No. 44,896

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to check operated, predetermined stop mechanisms for use with liquid dispensing apparatus for the wholesale selling of gasoline and other similar products and represents an improvement over that disclosed in Patent Number 2,247,480 issued July 1, 1941, to R. H. Damon et al.

It is an object of the invention to produce a stop mechanism which will be simple and sturdy.

Another object is to provide a stop mechanism which will be economical to manufacture.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a structure which is positive in operation and which will not jam.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction which requires no seals to render it tamper proof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing fradulent operation of the dispenser.

These and other objects will become apparent from a study of this specification and the drawings which are attached hereto and are made a part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device with the door removed and parts broken away to show the token discharge means.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device with the cover removed to show the indicator, token handling means and the switch mechanism.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the device in the switch off position.

Figure 4 is a side elevation with parts broken away to show the check ejection and registering means.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 1 showing the gearing and driving mechanism.

Figure 6 is a front elevation, with parts broken away, showing the gearing.

Figure '7 is a section taken substantially on the line I-I of Figure 3 showing the switch and check accumulating mechanisms.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 5, the numeral I represents a back plate which is supported on the pump housing 3 by means of a bushing 5 and the outlet stub I of the switch box 9. The box is mounted on back plate I by cap screws ID. A nut II holds the parts in place at a point below the center of the device while conduit I. I3 holds them at a point above this center.

The plate I has a groove I5 to receive a gasket I1 and the flange I9 of a cover or case 2I rests on the gasket to seal the joint.

Four shoulder studs 23 are riveted into the gear support plate 25 and an intermediate plate 21 is mounted thereon against the shoulders. Spacers 29 and a front plate 3| are the mounted thereon and held in place by nuts 33.

The support plate is held in place on the back plate I by means of cap screws 35 which enter nuts (not shown) welded to the back plate.

Aligned bushings 39 and 4I are fixed in the front and support plates respectively in alignment with bushing 5.

A shaft 43 is mounted in a 12-tooth pinion 45 end of shaft 43 is provided with 39 and H and has adjacent plate 25. The which extends into bushing 5 a drive socket 4! which receives the end of a flexible drive shaft 49. The end bell 52 of the shaft housing 53 is held on bushing 5 by screws 55.

A trunnion pin 5'! is riveted in plate 25 and extends through the front plate 3|. It is disposed vertically above and parallel to shaft 43.

As the shaft 43 rotates to drive pinion 45, the latter drives a 60-tooth gear 59 which rotates on trunnion 5I. This gear has fixed to it a l2-tooth pinion BI which drives a 60-tooth gear 63 which rotates on shaft 43. The gear 63 has a 36-tooth gear 65 fixed to it which drives a 36-tooth gear 67 mounted for rotation on the trunnion.

Gear 61 carries a 24-tooth pinion 69 which drives a 48-tooth gear 'II which rotates on the shaft 43 and gear II carries a 24-tooth pinion I3 which drives a 48-tooth gear I5 rotating on the trunnion.

The hub I1 of gear I5 has fixed to it the combined check receiving and indicator or control disc 19 which is disposed between plates 2! and 3|.

It will be seen that this gearing will produce one revolution of disc 19 for each one hundred revolutions of the shafts 49, 43; and since the shafts are driven at the rate of one revolution per gallon of liquid dispensed, each half revolution of the disc will represent the dispensing of 50 gallons which is the value of the check used to preset the mechanism.

The disc 19 has two diametrically opposed holes 8| formed therein for the reception of checks. The face of the disc is graduated adjacent its periphery from zero to fifty in a counterclockwise direction (Figs. 2 and 3) starting at the ends of the diameter which is normal to that of of the centers of the holes.

The trailing edges of the holes 8| are bevelled at 83 to prevent jamming of a check. The disc is shown in its normal or switch off position in Figure 3 and in this position one of the zero indicia appears in the window 85 in line with the index 81, to be described below.

When the disc occupies the Figure 3 position, the left-hand hole is in alignment with a check magazine 89 in the form of a cylinder attached to the front plate SI and with its axis normal thereto. The outer end of the cylinder is closed by a head 9| and a plunger 93 is slidably mounted in the head, coaxially of the tube, and carries 3 check follower 95 in the tube and an operating knob 9'! outside of the head. A spring 99 is confined between the head and follower to urge the latter toward the disc.

The tube is slotted at WI part way around the circumference at the top to permit insertion of checks. The top of the tube is cut away at I93 from the slot to the open end of the tube and a plastic ring I is cemented or otherwise fixed to the exterior of the tube so that the edges of the deposited checks may be viewed. The portion cut away is not large enough, however, to permit withdrawal of any of the checks.

Pivoted on a stud I95 fixed in plates 2'! and 3| but lying between plates 2'I and 25, closely adjacent plate 21, is 'a switch control lever I99 (Figs. 2, 3 and '7). The lower end of the lever has two bushings III and H3 fixed therein for the reception of headed seekers H5 and Ill respectively. It also carries a stud H9 centered between the bushings on which is supported a two-armed spring I2i and a corresponding spring support I23, both of Which project out over the heads of the seekers on which the ends of the spring bear.

A spring I24 is fulcrumed on pin I91 and one end is hooked under a projection I23 on plate 3|v while the other end is hooked in a groove I39 in bushing III. This spring tends to rotate the lever in a clockwise direction. A hole 32 is formed in plate 3| in the region occupied by the small end of seeker H5 for releasing the pin should the device be fraudulently operated, as Will be fully explained below.

The upper end of the arm W9 is disposed adjacent a plunger I25 which is slidable in the switch box 9 to actuate a normally open switch I21. The outer end of the plunger is threaded at I29 and a sleeve I3I having hexagon end flanges I33 is screwed thereon. The flanges span the end of lever I99 so that motion thereof will be transmitted to the plunger. A screwed cover I35 is supplied for box 9.

The seekers H5 and II? are so located that they are in the path traversed by holes 8!, 93 so that if no token is entered in the hole as it passes either seeker, the latter will enter and as it is contacted by the trailing edge of the hole, it will be moved upward thereby and will rotate lever I99 in a counterclockwise direction against the action of spring I24 to pull plunger I25 away from switch I2'I which will then open.

A token ejection and counting mechanism, shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, is provided at the opposite side of the machine from the lever.

As shown in Figure 4 particularly, a pair of ears I31 are attached to the rear of plate 27 in spaced relation and a lever I39 is mounted on a pivot pin I49 supported by the ears. A pair of extension arms I4I, I43 span and are fixed rigidly to the lever. Arm I43 carries a lateral arm I45 which has a forwardly bent ear I41. A link I49 connects this ear with the operating lever I5! of a counter I53.

A roller I54 is rotatably mounted at I55 on the arms I4I, I43 and a spring I5? is mounted on the pivot I49 and has one end bearing on plate 21 and the other end on the rear side of the lever I39 or its arms.

The roller is positioned so that it is approximately centered in one of the holes 8i when the disc 19 is in its stopping position and it projects through a slot I56 in plate 21.

As the hole appears, the roller will bear on the check therein and when the hole I59 in the front plate 3l, which is substantially the same size as the holes BI, is substantially aligned therewith (as shown in Fig. 1), the spring I51 will operate lever I39 and arms I4I, I43 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 4). Roll I54 will eject the check from the disc through hole I59 onto a chute or deflector I61 which is fixed to the front of plate 3i and the check will gravitate to the check drawer described below.

As stated above, th cover 2! has a flange I9 which seats on gasket Il. It is preferably a drawn stamping and has a shallow recess I33 which merges with a deeper recess I65 (Figs. 1 and 5).

The latter is slotted top and bottom at I61 and I69 and a door 17!, having a, projection I13 adapted to enter slot IE9 and a lock II4having a dog I35 adapted to enter slot I31, fits in the recess I33.

A third recess ill is formed below th top of recess I35 and is relatively deep. This recessextends directly above the magazine tube 89 and the plastic tube I95 extends through a cut out in thebottom of the recess so that the interior of the magazine is visible.

As stated above, an arcuate opening is formed in the rear wall of the recess to. display the indicia on the outer portion of. the disc 1.9. A transparent member I19 is fixed over the opening and bears the indexing mark 81.

Two studs I8I are fixed tothe plate 3| and project through holes in the rear wall of therecess and acorn nuts I83 are screwed thereon to hold the top end of the cover in position.

The button 9'! projects through a hole I85. in the case so as to be accessiblewhen the door III is removed.

A second, rectangular hole It! is formed in the case in front of the register to display the indicia I 89 thereof.

A third hole I9I is formed in the. caseadjacent the lower portion of recess I55 for the reception of a check drawer I93. A look I;is fitted in the front wall of the drawer and has a locking dog I9] which engages a locking lug I39 which is fixed to thebottom of the case.

The case has ears 21H (Figs. 1 and 5) welded thereto which project over a pad 293 formed in the back plate and screws 205 pass through the ears and enter the pad to hold the case on the back plate. It will be seen from Figure 5 that the screws 295 are accessible only when the drawer I93 is removed. Accordingly, the cover cannot be removed by any person who does not possess the key to the drawer lock.

Operation Assuming that the device is locked up and empty, the disc I9, seekers. H5, H1, switch arm I99 and rod I25 will be in the Figure 3 position and theswitch I27 will be open.

Since, as set forth in the Damonet al. patent, this switch is in series with the motor switch of the dispenser, it will be impossible to dispense liquid.

The operator who has the key to lock I'I4'.(but not lock I35.) will remove the door, pull out knob 91 and insert one or more checks in front of'follower 95 through slot I5! in the tube and release the knob. Since a hole BI in the disc. is aligned with the magazine, the spring 99 will force one of the deposited checks into the hole 8|.

Since theseeker II! is forced into thehole BI from the side opposite the magazineby reason of spring I2I, and is held against the lower edge of the hole by the tension of spring I24, the insertion of a check in the hole 8| as described forces the seeker out and as soon as it clears the hole, spring I 24 moves lever I09 clockwise to push rod I29 into housing 9 and to close switch I2'I.

The dispensing apparatus may now be operated at will by manipulating the controls provided thereon but as it is operated, the meter thereof drives cable 49 at the rate of one revolution per gallon dispensed. The gearing 45 to I5 drives the disc I9 at the rate of one revolution for each one hundred of shaft 49 and in a clockwise direction (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). Accordingly, it will require fifty revolutions of shaft 49, equivalent to the dispensing of fifty gallons of liquid, to turn the disc 180 degrees and reverse the positions of the holes.

As the hole containing the token approaches coincidence with the hole I59 in plate 3|, roller I54, under the action of spring I51, will push the token out onto the chute IBI whence it will gravitate into the drawer I93. Arm I43, I45, link I49 and lever I5I will advance the counter I5I one digit.

Assuming that more than one check was inserted initially, the next check will be picked up by the hole which comes into alignment with the magazine and the operation will continue until the checks are exhausted. Thereupon, as the empty hole 8| uncovers seeker III, the latter will enter under action of spring I2I and when the seeker is picked up by the trailing edge of hole 8|, the lever I09 will be rotated counterclockwise (Fig. 3) pulling rod I25 from case 9 and permitting switch I 21 to open and disable the dispenser until additional checks are inserted.

When this occurs the zero indicia of the disc 79 will be aligned with the index 81 (Fig. 1).

It is possible to insert a tool or other instrument through slot IOI in the magazine and push the seeker II'I out of the hole 8| and this will operate to start the device just as though a token had been used.

However, as soon as the hole BI uncovers seeker II5, the latter will enter under action of spring I2I and when the trailing edge of the hole engages the seeker, lever I09 will again be rotated to open the switch. Thus the dispenser is again disabled and this time it cannot be started by the insertion of a token or by any action of the operator short of destruction of the machine. At the most, only about ten or twelve gallons can be pilfered until the machine disables the dispenser and thus establishes at once the fact that a fraud has occurred. This fraud must be disclosed to the owner of the liquid before the device can be placed in service again.

In order to restart the dispenser it is necessary for the party against whom the fraud was perpetrated and who holds the key to the check drawer to remove this drawer, remove screws 295 and nuts I8I and thereby free the cover for removal. Thereupon, a wire or the like may be inserted in the small hole 32 in plate 3I to push the seeker out of hole BI. This permits spring I24 to shift lever I09 and close switch IZ'I. The machine will then permit the dispensing of the undispensed portion of the 50 gallons. The damaged party will, of course, collect the value of the fifty gallons of liquid and should place a check in the cash drawer since the register I53 will be operated just as though a check had been used. The case and drawer will then, of course, be reinstalled.

Collecting of the tokens and filling of the tank will be cared for by the holder of the key to the drawer lock I as fully explained in the Damon et a1. patent.

The indicia and index indicate at all times the number of gallons dispensed from the check which is active and the register indicates the number of checks which have passed through the machine.

The proper stroke of plunger I25 in response to the action of arm I09 can be secured by adjusting the member I3II33 on the threads I29.

It should be noted that only two relatively small holes are required in the dispenser housing 3 for mounting the back plate I thereon.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, structure and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, applicants do not desire to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed herein primarily for purposes of illustration; but instead, they desire protection falling fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a check presettable stop mechanism, the combination of a stop means, a drive shaft, a control element, means connecting said shaft to drive the element, check receiving means in said element, operating means for said stop means movable between starting and stopping positions, means for urging said operating means toward starting position, said operating means comprising first means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement thereby to stopping position, a second means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement to stopping position, said second means being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said first means adjacent the path of said check receiving means so that said first and second means will be successively encountered by said check receiving means, and means, accessible only by a partial disassembly of the mechanism, for disconnecting said element and said second connecting means.

2. In a check presettable stop mechanism, the combination of a stop means, a drive shaft, a control element, means connecting said shaft to drive the element, check receiving means in said element, operating means for said stop means movable between starting and stopping positions, means for urging said operating means toward starting position, said operating means comprising first means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement thereby to stopping position, a second means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement to stopping position, said second means being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said first means adjacent the path of said check receiving means so that said first and second means will be successively encounterel by said check receiving means, and means accessible only by a partial disassembly of the mechanism for disconnecting .said element and said second connecting means, said second means being so disposed relative to said control element that it will be operated after said first means.

3. In a check presettable stop mechanism, the combination of a stop means, a drive shaft, a control element, means connecting said shaft to drive the element, check receiving means in said element, operating means for said stop means movable between starting and stopping positions, means for urging said operating means toward starting position, said operating means comprising first means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement thereby to stopping position and a second means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement to stopping position, said second means being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said first means adjacent the path of said check receiving means so that said first and second means will be successively encountered by said check receiving means, a cover housing said mechanism and means under the cover and accessible only by removal of the cover for disconnecting said element and said second connecting means.

4. In a check presettable stop mechanism, the combination of a stop means, a drive shaft, a control element, means connecting said shaft to drive the element, check receiving means in said element, operating means for said stop means movable between starting and stopping positions, means for urging said operating means toward starting position, said operating means comprising first means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement thereby to stopping position and a second means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement to stopping position, said second means being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said first means adjacent the path of said check receiving means so that said first and second means will be successively encountered by said check receiving means, a plate covering said second connecting means, means forming an opening in said plate adjacent said connecting means for reception of a tool and a cover housing said mechanism, said plate and opening being disposed under the cover so as to be accessible only by removal of the cover.

5. In a check presettable stop mechanism, the combination of a stop means, a drive shaft, a control element, means connecting said shaft to drive the elements, check receiving means in said element, operating means for said stop means movable between starting and stopping positions, means for urging said operating means toward starting position, said operating means comprising first means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement thereby to stopping position and a second means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement to stopping position, said second means being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said first means adjacent the path of said check receiving means so that said first and second means will be successively encountered by said check receiving means, a cover housing said mechanism, means under the cover and accessible only by removal of the cover for disconnecting said element and said second connecting means, means forming an opening in the cover, a check receiver fitted in the opening, means for locking the receiver therein and means for holding the cover on said mechanism, said holding means being disposed under the cover and being accessible only through said opening.

6. In a check presettable stop mechanism, the combination of a stop means, a drive shaft, 2, control element, means connecting said shaft to drive the element, check receiving means in said element, operating means for said stop means movable between starting and stopping positions, means for urging said operating means toward starting position, said operating means comprising first means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement thereby to stopping position, a second means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement to stopping position, said second means being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said first means adjacent the path of said check receiving means so that said first and second means will be successively encountered by said check receiving means, and means for preventing access to said second means and the stop means operating means while the mechanism is assembled.

7. In a check presettable stop mechanism, the combination or" a stop means, a drive shaft, a control element, means connecting said shaft to drive the element, check receiving means in said element, operating means for said stop means movable between starting and stopping positions, means for urging said operating means toward starting posiiton, said operating means comprising first means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement thereby to stopping position, a second means responsive to the absence of a check in said receiving means for connecting the operating means to said element for movement to stopping position, said second means being disposed in spaced relation with respect to said first means adjacent the path of said check receiving means so that said first and second means Will be successively encountered by said check receiving means, and lock controlled means for preventing access to said second means and the stop means operating means while the mechanism is assembled.

CHARLES H. CHAPMAN. CARL S. ASPENWALL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 604,173 Mower May 17, 1898 1,058,783 Kohler July 29, 1913 1,210,732 Vogelsong Jan. 2, 1917 1,418,770 Woods June 6, 1922 1,501,556 Ewing July 15, 1924 1,871,000 Klosterman Aug. 9, 1932' 1,926,652 Rosenfeld Sept. 12, 1933 2,247,480 Damon July 1, 1941 2,413,700 Farrell Jan. 7, 1947 

